The proposed book focusses on metal mediated/catalyzed “controlled/living radical polymerization” (CRP/LRP) methods. It surveys a wide variety of catalyzed polymerization reactions, making it essentially a “one stop” review in the field. A significant contribution to polymer science is “metathesis polymerization” discovered by Grubbs and others. The book will cover various metathesis polymerization methods and implications in polymer industry.

This volume contains the proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Transition Metal Catalyzed Polymerizations held in 1986. The papers provide a broad-based perspective covering recent scientific and technological advances in Ziegler-Natta and metathesis polymerization, including olefin, diene, and acetylene polymerization, and copolymerization. The emphasis on reaction kinetics of polymerizations in different reagent and catalyst environments makes this volume of interest to both academic and industrial researchers.

At the start of the 1950s, Ziegler and Natta discovered that simple metallorganic catalysts are capable of transforming olefins into linear polymers with highly ordered structures. This pioneering discovery was recognized with a Nobel Prize in 1963. In the 80s and 90s, the development of molecular defined metallocenes led to a renaissance for non-polar polyolefin materials. Designer catalysts allowed a greater precision in defining properties of the material. The past 10 years have seen the discovery of new catalysts based on late transition metals, which allow the combination of polar monomers with non-polar olefins and thus lead to innovative materials. Here, the world's leading authors from industry and academia describe the latest developments in this fascinating field for the first time in such comprehensive detail. In so doing, they introduce readers systematically to the basic principles and show how these new catalysts can effectively be used for polymerization reactions. This makes the book an ideal and indispensable reference for specialists, advanced students, and scientists of various disciplines dealing with research into catalysts and materials science.

More than 30 years after the discovery of transition metals and organometal lics as catalysts for olefin polymerization these catalysts did not have lost their fascination. Since 1953 when Karl Ziegler has discovered the catalytic polymerization of ethylene leading to plastically formable polymers which are mechanically stable up to temperatures of about 100°C, synthetic polymers and rubbers have made their way right into private houses. This discovery has been a main impetus for the fast growing production of plastics. The stereoselective poly merization of propylene and other long-chain a-olefins first detected by Giulio Natta leads to an even broadened field of applications. Another enforcing factor were the developments of Standard Oil of Indiana and Phillipps Petroleum Company who engaged in the polymerization of a-olefins supported molybdenum, cobalt and later on chromium catalysts which clearly indicates the wide variety of suitable systems. This kind of research acknowledged merit when in 1963 the Nobel prize of chemistry was awarded to Ziegler and Natta. Although to a great extent there is a technical application for these catalysts, up to now the nature of the active centres and many reaction mechanisms are not completely known.

Early Main Group Metal Catalysis gives a comprehensive overview of catalytic reactions in the presence of group 1 and group 2 metals. Chapters are ordered to reaction type, contain educational elements and deal with concepts illustrated by examples that cover the main developments. After a short introduction on polar organometallic chemistry and synthesis of early main group metal complexes, a variety of catalytic reactions are described, e.g. polymerization of alkenes, hydroamination and phosphination reactions, hydrosilylation, hydroboration and hydrogenation catalysis, as well as enantioselective and Lewis-acid catalysis. The book addresses organic chemists and researchers in industry interested in the state-of-the-art and new possibilities of early main group metal catalysis as well as newcomers to the field. Written by a team of leaders in the field, it is a very welcome addition to the area of main group metal chemistry, and to the field of catalysis.

During the past 30 years, the field of alkene polymerization over transition metal catalysts underwent several major changes:1. The list of commercial heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalysts for the synthesis of polyethylene and stereoregular polyolefins was completely renewed affording an unprecedented degree of control over the polymer structure.2. Research devoted to metallocene and other soluble transition-metal catalysis has vastly expanded and has shifted toward complexes of transition metals with multidentate ligands.3. Recent developments in gel permeation chromatography, temperature-rising fractionation, and crystallization fractionation provided the first reliable information about differences between various active centers in transition-metal catalysts.4. A rapid development of high-resolution 13C NMR spectroscopy resulted in greatly expanded understanding of the chemical and steric features of polyolefins and alkene copolymers. These developments require a new review of all aspects of alkene polymerization reactions with transition-metal catalysts. The first chapter in the book is an introductory text for researchers who are entering the field. It describes the basic principles of polymerization reactions with transition-metal catalysts, the types of catalysts, and commercially manufactured polyolefins. The next chapter addresses the principal issue of alkene polymerization catalysis: the existence of catalyst systems with single and multiple types of active centers. The subsequent chapters are devoted to chemistry and stereochemistry of elemental reaction steps, structures of catalyst precursors and reactions leading to the formation of active centers, kinetics of polymerization reactions, and their mechanisms.The book describes the latest commercial polymerization catalysts for the synthesis of polyethylenes and polypropylene The book provides a detailed description of the multi-center nature of commercial Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The book devotes specialized chapters to the most important aspects of transition metal polymerization catalysts: the reactions leading to the formation of active centers, the chemistry and stereochemistry of elemental polymerization steps, reaction kinetics, and the polymerization mechanism. The book contains an introductory chapter for researchers who are entering the field of polymerization catalysis. It describes the basic principles of polymerization reactions with transition-metal catalysts and the types of commercially manufactured polyolefins and copolymersThe book contains over 2000 references, the most recent up to end of 2006.

Recent development of a new generation of Ziegler-Natta Catalysts using either magnesium dichloride as carrier or methylaluminoxane as cocatalyst has markedly stimulated the research activity in the field of olefin polymerization. These discoveries have not only yielded economical processes for polyolefin production but also opened the way to a new generation of novel polymers. Moreover, the nature of active species is being clarified well by the effort to simplify catalyst systems. The present volume includes 38 papers from the 31 lectures and 18 posters presented at the symposium on `Recent Developments in Olefin Polymerization Catalysts', which covered the following topics: Overview of super-active homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, kinetic profile of olefin polymerization including copolymerization, characterization of catalysts and polymers, methods for the determination of active center concentration, role of Lewis bases on the catalysts isospecificity, polymerization mechanisms, and synthetic pathways for functionalized polyolefins. The contents are well balanced between fundamental research and application as well as between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst systems.

1. T. Takata, N. Kihara, Y. Furusho: Polyrotaxanes and Polycatenanes: Recent Advances in Syntheses and Applications of Polymers Comprising of Interlocked Structures.- 2. M. Suginome, Y. Ito: Transition Metal-Mediated Polymerization of Isocyanides.- 3. K. Osakada, D. Takeuchi: Coordination Polymerization of Dienes, Allenes and Methylenecycloalkanes.

Metal Nanoclusters in Catalysis and Materials Science: The Issue of Size Control deals with the synthesis of metal nanoclusters along all known methodologies. Physical and chemical properties of metal nanoclusters relevant to their applications in chemical processing and materials science are covered thoroughly. Special attention is given to the role of metal nanoclusters size and shape in catalytic processes and catalytic applications relevant to industrial chemical processing.An excellent text for expanding the knowledge on the chemistry and physics of metal nanoclusters. Divided in two parts; Part I deals with general aspects of the matter and Part II has to be considered a useful handbook dealing with the production of metal nanoclusters, especially from their size-control point of view.* Divided into two parts for ease of reference: general and operational * Separation of synthetic aspects, physical properties and applications* Specific attention is given to the task of metal nanoclusters size-control

Edited and authored by top international experts, this first book on conjugated polymers with a focus on synthesis provides a detailed overview of all modern synthetic methods for these highly interesting compounds. As such, it describes every important compound class, including polysilanes, organoboron compounds, and ferrocene-containing conjugated polymers. An indispensable source for every synthetic polymer chemist.